BEMIDJI 鈥� Wilbert Saucedo learned the street taco business from vendors in Mexico City. After moving to Bemidji four years ago, he started dreaming of bringing that kind of food to the Northland.
It all came together for Saucedo and his partner, Blanca Mendoza, last week when they opened Mi Taqueria, a food truck, along busy Bemidji Avenue North.
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Despite cold, late October temperatures, Mi Taqueria was hopping over the weekend as customers enjoyed the menu of six street tacos, a burrito, a quesadilla and nachos.
鈥淚鈥檝e been thinking about a taco place for a long, long time," Saucedo said. 鈥淚 wanted to bring something from Mexico City. I spent a lot of time in Mexico working with those guys. What I learned from them is they don鈥檛 do it for money. I mean, they do, but it鈥檚 not 100%. They do it because they love what they do. They love interacting with the customers.鈥�
Mendoza added, 鈥淲e鈥檙e just going to do our best and try to bring Mexico flavors and taste to Bemidji.鈥�
Mendoza has lived in Bemidji since 2009, when her brother, David, opened his Mi Rancho restaurant. She worked as a server and eventually was promoted to general manager. Saucedo had a similar path at a Mexican restaurant in California, working his way up from dishwasher to prep cook to head cook to general manager.
The couple met at a party in California when Mendoza was vacationing there a few years ago.
鈥淲hen I met him things just clicked,鈥� Mendoza said, 鈥渁nd it turns out he was a cook.鈥�
She persuaded Saucedo to come to Bemidji, and after working together at Mi Rancho for two years, they bought the restaurant in 2022.
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Saucedo said he quickly adjusted to his new city and its colder climate. But he thought Mi Rancho鈥檚 menu could use an overhaul.
鈥淚 love it here,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I moved here I saw the menu and the restaurant. It was beautiful, but I thought we could do better here. This is not authentic. The menu was not of Mexico, not even 1%. We thought we could do better.鈥�
With Mi Rancho on solid ground, it was time for the couple to move forward on their street taco dream.
They made an arrangement with John Peterson, the developer who built University Heights student apartments at 1725 Bemidji Ave. N., to have their food truck on his property, then secured the proper permits from the city of Bemidji.
They found a suitable truck in Colorado and had it customized and winterized. Saucedo designed the kitchen so four people can work together without bumping into one another.
鈥淲e were working four people (on Sunday) in there just fine,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淓verybody has their own station.鈥�
Mi Taqueria will be open from noon to 9 p.m. every day except Monday. For now, it will be staffed by three or four people, often including Saucedo and Mendoza.
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鈥淲hen a new business opens it gets packed for the first month, month and a half,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ilbert will be there at least for a couple of months. It has to be 100% quality.鈥�
A long-term goal is to have a Mi Taqueria restaurant on that site. Peterson hopes to build a second apartment building on the site in the next three years, with commercial space on the street level and three floors of rental units above.
For now, he is pleased to have the food truck on the lot south of his first building, which opened in 2016.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e great friends,鈥� Peterson said of the Mi Taqueria owners.
To learn more about Mi Taqueria, visit or follow them on
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